


you're whispers and sunlight

by sunnymygal



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: (without dignity), Alternate Universe - Teachers, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Modern AU, look i watched a proposal video and my first thought was "zukka", so naturally i wrote this in 2 days, this was bound to happen, unbeta-ed we die like jet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:27:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25413148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnymygal/pseuds/sunnymygal
Summary: "I love the way his eyes sparkle when he’s telling a story. I love everything about him. Which is why I want to ask him this question”Oh, spirits.Sokka gets down on one knee. Zuko faintly registers the gasps and screams of everyone else in the room; right now, it’s just him and his boyfriend who is pulling out a ring and-“Mr. Zuko, will you marry me?”(alternatively, the zukka proposal fic insp by this video https://www.facebook.com/PrinceEa/videos/2747215315384858/)
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 70
Kudos: 410





	you're whispers and sunlight

_and you're fire, but sweet_

_hot coals beneath my feet_

_warm blood, body_

_and i lost it when you found me._

-warm blood, floor

Zuko considers himself a good teacher. 

He’s tried very hard to be chill, non-overbearing, and grudgingly respected by his students. He’s stayed under the radar for the past 5 years he’s been teaching at Ba Sing Se Elementary School. 

Sokka, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. He’s easily the favorite teacher at BSSES, the one that lets kids eat in his room at lunch and has cool activities for the kids to do. He’s loud, and energetic, and parents adore him. Zuko thought he would hate him at first, but of course Sokka grew on him. They spent more and more time together, and eventually Zuko fell in love. 

He never expected Sokka to feel the same way, though. 

But he did, and here they were. Three years later, they’re still madly in love with each other. Zuko would be lying if he’s said that staying with Sokka for the rest of his life hadn’t crossed his mind, but the sheer amount of anxiety he gets whenever he tries to imagine proposing always stops him from dreaming too much. 

Zuko’s done a fantastic job at keeping his and Sokka’s relationship hidden from his students, much to Sokka’s amusement. His kids know that he’s dating someone, but they have no idea the gender of the person or if they work at the school or not. They pry, and poke, and prod, but Zuko prides himself on being able to deflect with a smile and brush off all their questions. 

Until  _ someone (looking at you, Bumi II)  _ started a rumor that he was dating Sokka. 

His students were baffled at first; the other teacher’s loud and bubbly personality seemed like it would annoy Zuko to death, but in truth they balanced each other out perfectly. Zuko was content to watch Sokka’s hands flail around as he rambled, adding a “mhmm” when necessary. 

The kids moved on from their confused state in about a week, as small children do, and began pestering Zuko about his alleged relationship with Sokka. All. The. Time. 

The minute the bell rang for recess, Zuko would have a mob of eight year olds crowding around his legs, begging for any confirmation or denial about his love life. For the first few days, he managed to get by with a simple, “It’s my life, sweetheart, and I deserve some privacy. Go play with your friends.” Nothing could hold their interest for long, so this sent them scattering away. But they weren’t stupid, and soon found ways to get him to talk. 

“Mr. Zuko, do you like Mr. Sokka?”

“Well. Yes. As a co-worker. We are friends.”

Jin squints at him. She places her hands on her hips, and Zuko resists the urge to smile. 

“Just as a friend?”

“Just as a friend.”

Zuko thinks that’s the end of it. It’s not, because apparently the universe hates him.

“Mr. Zuko?”

“Yes, Jin?”

“Do you like boys?”

Zuko chokes on his tea.

“Jin, that’s a very personal question. Well. For some people. The point is, you can’t just ask someone that. You have to be close enough to them that they feel secure enough to answer.” Zuko internally pumps his fist.  _ Nailed it.  _

Jin’s lower lip wobbles. “Are- are you mad at me Mr. Zuko?”

Zuko’s eyes widen and he scrambles to place a hand on Jin’s shoulder. “No, sweetheart. I’m just saying that, maybe you should think a little more before you ask certain questions, okay?”

The young girl’s face instantly lightens. Zuko breathes a sigh of relief and praises himself for doing damage control. But he feels guilty for not answering her question. 

“And, for the record, Jin, I do like men.”

Zuko books it out of the afterschool program room at that, ignoring Jin’s delighted cry of “Mr. Zuko!! Are you sure you only like him as a friend??”

Zuko’s used to the kids bringing up his still alleged relationship with Sokka, but not his boyfriend himself. Sokka’s stroking his hair one afternoon, calm and peaceful and Zuko feels himself drifting off to the slow, languid movement of the love of his life’s hands on his hair. Sokka chooses now to say, “So, have you thought about confirming our relationship? At school, I mean.”

Zuko’s eyes snap open and he jerks himself upright, whipping his head around. “I thought we were keeping it on the down low?” He can feel anxiety working its way through him, and Sokka grabs his hands to stop them from picking at his skin. 

“I know, but it’s not like we’re gonna break up anytime soon _ ,  _ and frankly? I wanna see the kids faces when they realize they were right.” Sokka looks at him with his big blue eyes, and Zuko feels any nervousness washing away. 

Zuko breathes deeply, closing his eyes and squeezing his boyfriend’s hands. “Okay.”

Sokka grins. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Let's do it.”

  
  


Ninety-seven small faces stare at him with barely concealed excitement. Zuko has butterflies in his stomach, and it's oddly reminiscent of when he first asked Sokka to go out with him in this very same room three years ago. He smiles at the memory; he’d been nervous as hell, but Sokka only gave him a delighted smile and said, “I thought you’d never ask.”

Now, he watches his kids and Sokka’s and Katara’s and Aang’s as they practically jump in anticipation. He’d told his boyfriend to make the announcement that they were going to officially address the rumors about, “Zukka,” as the children called it. Sokka offers him a reassuring smile from where he’s standing next to Zuko at the front of the room, and claps his hands to get everyone’s attention.

“Alright, guys. Quiet!” The chatter dies down, and all eyes are on the two teachers. “So. As you all know, there is a rumor going around about me and Mr. Zuko. Who’s brave enough to tell me the rumor?” A hand shoots up. “Kya, tell me the rumor please.” 

“The rumor- the rumor is that you and Mr. Zuko are dating!” Aang and Katara’s daughter giggles with delight and ducks her head down. Once again, the room erupts in laughter and hushed whispers. 

“Quiet, please. I said, quiet.” Sokka waits for the kids to refocus while Zuko jams his hands into his coat pockets and looks down. He doesn’t need a mirror to know he’s got bright red blooming on his cheeks. Katara catches his eye from the corner of the room and grins, but it morphs into a smirk. Zuko furrows his eyebrows, but she shakes her heads and inspects her nails.  _ Huh. Okay, then. _

Sokka gathers the attention of the kids, and continues. “Me and Mr. Zuko have decided to address those rumors. And the truth is,” Sokka pauses for dramatic effect. Zuko almost laughs at how the kids are leaning forward subconsciously. “We are dating.”

The kids  _ scream.  _

This gets a chuckle out of Zuko, and he steals a look at Sokka out of the corner of his eye. His boyfriend is grinning at the chaos he’s caused. Zuko loves him. 

“But there’s more.”  _ What?  _ Zuko jerks his head up and stares at Sokka. “Me and Mr. Zuko are not just dating. Because I love him more than anything in the world.” Zuko gapes at him, tears forming in his eyes. This wasn’t part of the plan, but he can’t bring himself to care when his boyfriend is literally declaring his love for him in front of all their co-workers and kids. 

“I love Mr. Zuko. I love how he kisses my cheek when we separate to drive to school in different cars. I love how he laughs at my dumb jokes. I love how he steals my sweatshirts and wears them even when it’s hotter than Caldera City in the summer.” Sokka turns to him. 

“I love how he’s kind, despite what he’s been through. I love how he chooses to forgive those who deserve forgiveness and lets go of those who don’t. I love the way he treats his uncle, with the utmost respect and dignity. I love how he talks to people he’s just met like he’s known them for ages. I love the way his eyes sparkle when he’s telling a story. I love everything about him. Which is why I want to ask him this question” 

_ Oh, spirits.  _

Sokka gets down on one knee. Zuko faintly registers the gasps and screams of everyone else in the room; right now, it’s just him and his boyfriend who is  _ pulling out a ring and- _

“Mr. Zuko, will you marry me?” 

For the second time today, the kids scream louder than anything Zuko’s ever heard before. Tears stream down his face and he manages to mutter “yes,  _ Agni, yes”  _ before Sokka stands and Zuko buries his face into Sokka’s chest. Strong arms wrap around him and he feels a kiss pressed to his head. 

Zuko takes a deep breath and untangles himself from Sokka’s arms. He looks at the ring- it's a simple gold band with “firelight” engraved on the inside. Zuko smiles at the memory of Sokka calling him this when they first woke up together, and the way the hazy morning light made him look like he was glowing. Zuko can see Katara recording them, and he grins. This is his family now. Officially. 

Stepping forward, he cups Sokka’s face with his hands. Zuko distantly notes how gorgeous the gold looks against Sokka’s skin. His  _ fiancé’s  _ skin. 

He likes the sound of that. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> heyo!! i wrote this in two days and it consumed every waking moment of my life. im not 100& happy with it but!!! it made me happy to write and thats really all that matters!!
> 
> comments make my heart go uwu <3 if u like it pls drop a comment!! no matter how short or long it is i can guarantee i will spend a week thinking about it
> 
> im beepboopbitch on tungle dot com because i think im funny lol come scream about disaster gays w me. srsly i need friends


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